Moon lander and rover go dormant for lunar night
The lander and rover of the Chang'e 4 probe have been switched to dormant mode for the lunar night after working stably for a 23rd lunar day, the China National Space Administration's Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center said.
Both the lander and rover were switched to dormant mode on Friday-the rover at noon and the lander at 9:40 pm, the center said.
A lunar day is equal to 14 days on Earth, and a lunar night is the same length. The Chang'e 4 probe, which is switched to dormant mode during lunar nights due to the lack of solar power, had been on the far side of the moon for 661 Earth days as of Sunday, and the rover has traveled 565.9 meters.